Price changes (Valve changed rules)

today I am forced to make this announcement due to a change in rules, which you can read about here (its public, so I can post it - can be found with google easily): https://store.steampowered.com/news/group/4145017?emclan=103582791433666425&emgid=3700310527377680731

TL:DR is:

• Games need to have a minimum price of $1 in each country - currency exchange rates got adapted in 2022 - Game is now below $1 in some specific countries (during sales!) - and therefore hidden in these countries during sales.

So, I have to choose between:

• The game being unbuyable in those countries during sales (so these countries would never get sales again (as long as the game is on sale for 90% off or similar)) - Adjust pricing to valves new standards from 2022.

What will happen now?

• All prices (except €/$ - they stay as they are) will be adapted (at the beginning of september) to the new standards set by valve in 2022 - In some countries the games wont be buyable during the next Sale - nothing (reasonable) I can do about that now.

How much does pricing change?

• No change for €/$ (I wont even adapt to inflation ːsteamhappyː - this should cover most of you.) - For most other countries, not much, some may go up, some down - depends on what Valve set as conversion rate* - Turkey: 18.50 TL -> 105.00 TL - Argentina: 192.99 ARS$ -> 765.00 ARS$

Before you get your pitchforks...

This is not me "being greedy", its a rulechange forced onto me. I did not touch pricing since 2017, and did also not increase pricing for the significantly larger new games. There was no intention to change pricing (up) from my side, and thats exactly what I told those who asked me about it once Valve introduced the new default prices.

Why did Valve put this rule in place?

I dont know, but I guess it has to do with transaction fees and abuse of low-value currencies in the last years. But until valve speaks out on this (which they most likely wont do), I am as clueless as anyone else.

Sorry.

Not much I can do about this situation, it just puts me in a very awkward spot... a spot I dont want to be in.

If default prices should go down significantly in the future, I will also adjust pricing to the lower prices - as long/much as the rules allow for it.

I will only post this on RT1, since most people who have the newer games also have this one (it should reach most people, without spamming everyone with multiple announcements.)

*I do not have the knowledge about 30 something currencies to accurately set a price relative to the money people have (aside from $/€) - so I have to trust Valve here.